Our Blog
Where do Finnish Reed warblers come from?
Combined evidence reveals the origin of a rapid range expansion despite retained genetic diversity and a weak founder effect.
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society Special issue on brood parasitism is now out
Together with Steven Portugal (Royal Holloway University of London), Ros Gloag (University of Sydney), and Claire Spottiswoode (University of Cape Town / University of Cambridge), we now have a special issue on brood parasitism published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. Read a summary about it here.
Our first "informed bird" has fledged!
At the end of November, Victoria Franks passed her viva with examiners Joah Madden (Exeter) and Bill Sutherland (Cambridge). We’re very proud of our first “fledgling”! Here Vix describes her main findings:
The Great Hihi Sperm Race is on!
Take part in possibly the world's first Sperm Race and help raise funds for conservation of New Zealand's best bird (in my completely partial opinion!)
Older and wiser? What we now know about age & learning in hihi
One big problem young animals face is finding food, particularly when they have little experience to help them. Even human teenagers can struggle when there’s no one else around to do the shopping, and for wild animals, making the best foraging decisions is even more crucial for their survival. Victoria Franks is investigating how juvenile birds overcome this challenge during her PhD. Read about her latest results here on age differences in learning strategies by adult and juvenile hihi.
Two papers in one week: how birds learn (and why it matters!)
Highlights! A quick summary of our two papers out this week on associative learning by hihi, and the coevolutionary consequences of social transmission among predators.
Work with us! 4 yr PhD and 3 yr Postdoc opportunities available.
PhD position (4 years) and Postdoc (3 years) available now!
Moominsummer Madness
Thanks to our great interns this summer: Marie Froehly & Feli Pamatat
Informed Birds at Behaviour 2017
Missed our talks and poster at Behaviour 2017? Read a summary here.
Can video playback provide social information for foraging blue tits? Yes, but do they use it?
Liisa's first PhD paper is out! Read her blog post to help us solve why the results are still puzzling.
Hihi translocation in progress
Translocations are an exciting time for hihi conservation - we're starting a new population, and also learning how the birds' social environment influences success.
Unravelling the mystery of Shining (bronze) cuckoos' dark green eggs
New paper out at Auk - and why it took six years to publish!
Do mothers bias offspring sex ratios in carotenoid-rich environments?
2nd hihi paper for 2016 out @ Behavioral Ecology!
Latest research: how hosts assess parasitism risk
How do cuckoo hosts assess risk? By combining sources of information from neighbours and personal experience.